1. Sorting/Comprehension Questions
Frankenstein: Good and Evil in Literature
Over-arching/Essential Questions: What moral obligation does science have to Society?
What factor(s) contribute to the development of an individual? How is theme a driving force in a story or actions of a character?
How do I annotate a piece of text? How does background knowledge help us interpret and understand literary text?
How can an understanding of the psychology of literary characters help us gain a better understanding of humans?
Ch. XV-XVIII
Ch. XIX-XXI
Ch. XXII-XXIV
Letters I-IV
Ch. I-IV
Ch. V-IX
Ch. X-XIV
Sorting/Comprehension Questions
What is happening here? Who are the characters? What do we know about them? How do we know?
Significance
What moments strike you as most significant to the text? Explain why those moments are significant.
Interpretation of Text: WriteAbouts
Robert Walton can be described as Victor Frankenstein’s counterpart or double. What are the main character traits that make them similar? What makes them different?
At several points, Frankenstein refers to fate as having been instrumental in shaping his life. Why do you think he interprets his life this way?
The relationship between Victor and the creature can be likened to that of God and Adam. What moral obligation does Victor have to the creature?
Victor must decide whether or not to crate a partner for the Creature after he hears the Creature’s story. If you were in Victor’s position, what decision would you make and why?
The Creature’s education teaches him that society values a person’s lineage and wealth more than his or her accomplishments or behavior. What effect does this realization have on him?
If the Creature blamed Victor for his circumstances and wanted to punish Victor for them, why would the Creature not kill Victor instead of those around him?
Although the Creature is hideously deformed and not of the same nature as humans, he is in many ways more “human” than those around him. How would you define what it means to be human and how does the Creature epitomize it?
Analysis of Text: Inquiry Questions & WriteLikes
Among several antitheses, or opposites, in the novel are emotion and reason. Sometimes two conflicting responses are at war within a character. What are some examples of this reaction in the novel?
What is Victor’s mood after he has destroyed his newest creation and the Creature has seen what has been done?
Nature is prominent throughout the story, almost being an additional character. How is it symbolic of a theme seen in the novel?
Frankenstein is written in an epistolary form. How effective is this in story telling? How do you think this will impact Walton’s character?
What do you think is the significance of Victor’s dream about Elizabeth? What future events might it foreshadow? How might it connect to what has happened to Justine?
Think about the Creature’s personal qualities and then think about his appearance. What is the difference between his interior and exterior selves? What is ironic about other people’s perception of the Creature?
A Foil is a character who presents a contrast with the main character. How is the Creature a foil to Victor?
Retrospective Assignment: Culminating Project .
Create a persuasive essay arguing the influence of “nature vs. nurture” on the development of an individual and how it connects with the theme of Good vs. Evil.